Rail equipment is widely used throughout the world for transportation of persons and all manner of goods. Rail lines formed by parallel track rails supported upon a concrete or gravel substrate will be familiar to most. Depending upon the manner of supporting the rails, and the type of substrate, different mechanisms are used for maintaining a desired positioning of the rails and, to a certain extent, attenuating shocks and vibrations transmitted between rail equipment and the underlying substrate. So-called “fixation” systems can range from relatively simple plates that attach rails to wooden ties partially buried in gravel, to more sophisticated mechanisms consisting of a relatively complex assembly of metallic and non-metallic components.
One known fixation system is set forth in United States Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0060561 to Ciloglu et al. Ciloglu et al. proposes a design where a section of track rail is supported between fasteners attached to a substrate and insulating elements. The design of Ciloglu et al. appears to be for the purpose of reducing corrosion-causing currents. The strategy is relatively complex, and for this and other reasons there remains ample room for improvement.